Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Common Redshank at IRRI - 24 Sept

An extremely wet week due to super typhoon Odette which has been keeping us well watered for several days. The Oriental Plovers were still present until Tuesday evening, in the same fields as the end of last week. Many other migrants have landed, including hundreds of Whiskered Terns and Wood Sandpipers. Several Grey Wagtails also arrived, as did a lone Common Redshank, the surprise bird of the week. I've seen them inland here at Candaba, but never before at IRRI.

The ernesti race Peregrine showed again on Monday, in heavy rain. It seems it's hanging about. We'll see what happens when the larger calidus turns up, probably next month.

My first ever Common Redshank at IRRI, long overdue!

While photographing this juvenile Oriental Pratincole the whole flock took off, several hundred birds appearing out of the ploughed field where I had only suspected a dozen or so...

... the culprit was this Peregrine, ssp. ernesti, which I have seen a couple of times over the last few weeks.

It eventually perched high on one of the pylons. Even in its bedraggled state it is clearly a very dark bird, and with a full black hood.

Odette. Pretty name, big ugly storm. Looks like another one just behind it too. No wonder lots of migrant waders take an easterly route over the Pacific.